Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-08-17
ON THE BOUNDARY LINE.
BY DAVID LOWRY.

It " as very cold night. The mer
curry dropped thirtynine degrees in
nineteen hours. Just when [ longed
most to visit Crutchly, | was compelled
to take refuge in my easy chair and
slippers before a good fire.
A series OF accidents, eliminating in
q railroad calamity that made the
world shudder, reduced me to help
Iessness lust when a man OF my tenn
permanent should find outlets for his
energy. was 20 be married on the
28th, and here was the Goth. [ was
prepared to marry the woman | had
loved for fifteen years. | loved her
when she was four years old; L was
ten. | had, all who knew us had,
ample evidence that | was her choice.
She had firmly declined alliances offer
ing splendor, where marriage with me
meant, as all the world knew, the
place the wife Of professor ofchemis-
try, occupying a chair IN Beal College,
might make most OF. True, / had a
small fortune, sufficient to yield me
two thousand year, but what was
that compared with the magnifcence
the second son of tie Earl Of M
could given Eleanor? There was alb
soluteiy nothing in the way OF the &C.
compiishment OF Eleanor wishes. she
could have, many said she should
have. accepted either Of the husbands
New York would have given her, with
millions at their command, but her
parents had left her wholly free, and
her father and mother manifested
much more interest in selecting the
furniture and decorations for our
house than either Eleanor or myself.
For my own part, I will confess
am attached to the things that
gather around me. Samples OF laces
and curtains and upholstery, discus
sions OF dresses and decoration, are
wearisome. And all discussions at
tending marriage preparations are, |
have observed, verbose. 1t would, L
thought, have been so much wiser and
easier TO have LETT Eleanor and me to
gather up our things as we required
them, and that would have left US the
satisfaction attending natural Sc
Iection; now, | reflected as [ sat
warming myself before a CHEEKY fire,
we will be set il the midst OF so much
sspIendor that it will be tiresome.
1t was very fortunate that keech's
horses should be injured by fall on
the hill road the day before. Every
thing Keech had was at my command.
His sscattle," as he called them, had
carried me over to Crutchly in three
hours. more than once. However, had
it not been for the extraordinary snow
fall that blockaded the railroad, offer
ing the most direct route to Crutchly,
would have forgotten the mishap to
Keech's horses. Then came the awful
experiences described IN the morning
papers, where half g hundred lives
were plotted out by the economical
mind bent On saving a railroad COM
pany tribe.
So there was nothing, seemingly, fOI
me to do but to wait for the morrow,
and then, to cap all, the mercury
dropped nineteen degrees below zero.
am man OF quiet tastes. My
lie was one Of seclusion and repose.
was very much attached GO my
rooms. I had occupied them for five
years. Mrs. Edmunds, from whom
rented them, besides being a lady Of
rare accomplishments, and one OF the
handsomest middle-aged ladies [ have
ever seen, was very sober, matter
of-fact person. It was not necessary
for me TO give her, or her servants,
explicit orders. Everything that ex-
perience or forethought could suggest
was provided to my hand.
Although in two days l was to be
married to the most perfect woman
IN the world, when [ meditated upon
the metamorphosis that was about to
take place, looked around my apart
meuts with regret. | sighed, and at
that instant sharp, cutting blast
penetrated the hall, and my door
blew open.
At the same instant my name was
uttered, uttered by g. voice | knew
well. There was but one person IN
the world who said Richard" In
that way. 1t was Eleanor.
I rose quickly, wondering how she
came there, when all means Of commu-
Dicaeion failed me. Then l asked my
self, Why she came to Rutger?
was n tremor, q sweet tremor OF ex-
element. Instead OF closing the door
on the instant, I stood with my back
to the FIRE, listening TO hear Eleanor
voice again. Instead, heard foot
step that / recognized instantly.
II was the housemaid, Violet, a
modest, bright girl, sorupulously neat,
and as honest and direct as sunlight.
She brought me q pot of tea, and a
dish o. Mrs. Edmunds' preserves,
made rs no other housewife could pre-.
pare them. She glanced at the open
door IL surprise as she sat the salver
down and nodded demureiy.
''Mrs. EdmunGs is very kind, "Isaid
as I dropped the second lump of sug
ar in my cup. Then, as she was going
eut, added, my curiosity getting the